scholarly journals Comparison of 12 Different Animal Welfare Labeling Schemes in the Pig Sector

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2430
Author(s):  
Katriina Heinola ◽  
Tiina Kauppinen ◽  
Jarkko K. Niemi ◽  
Essi Wallenius ◽  
Satu Raussi
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Bedding Material ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Substantial Variation ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Minimum Standards ◽  
Labeling Schemes ◽  
Additional Space ◽  
Organic Standards

Animal welfare labeling schemes have been developed to respond to consumers’ expectations regarding farm animal welfare. They are designed to certify that labeled products comply with certain animal welfare standards. In this study, 12 pig welfare labeling schemes were reviewed, and their criteria related to pig welfare were compared. Information regarding farrowing criteria, space allowance, outdoor access, mutilations, and provision of enrichments and bedding material were gathered from the labels’ internet pages and documentation. The results indicated a substantial variation between the labels in terms of the level of animal welfare they ensure. While certain schemes barely exceeded the minimum standards for the protection of pigs in the European Union, more demanding tiers of the multitier schemes had the potential to improve animal welfare substantially. The most ambitious tiers of multistage schemes were often comparable to organic standards providing outdoor facilities and additional space. The heterogeneity of the labels’ standards complicates the comparison of labels.

The Limitations of the Harmonisation of Criminal Law in the European Union Protected by Articles 82(3) and 83(3) tfeu

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-334
Author(s):  
Kaie Rosin ◽  
Markus Kärner
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
Justice System ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Judicial Cooperation ◽  
Minimum Standards ◽  
Legislative Procedure ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Criminal Matters

Articles 82(3) and 83(3) tfeu give Member States the possibility to suspend the legislative procedure of eu criminal law. Article 82(3) allows that kind of emergency brake mechanism for the process of adopting minimum standards for harmonising rules of criminal procedure enhancing judicial cooperation in criminal matters and Article 83(3) for establishing minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions. A Member State can only use the emergency brake clause when the proposal for the directive would affect the fundamental aspects of its criminal justice system. This prerequisite deserves a closer analysis, therefore the aim of this article is to interpret the meaning of tfeu articles 82(3) and 83(3) to better understand the limitations of the harmonisation of criminal law in the European Union.

scholarly journals Fattening Pig Farmers’ Intention to Participate in Animal Welfare Programs

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1042
Author(s):  
Sirkka Schukat ◽  
Alina Kuhlmann ◽  
Heinke Heise
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Path Modeling ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Welfare Programs ◽  
Intention To Participate

Farmers are considered a highly important stakeholder group for the successful implementation of higher farm animal welfare (FAW) standards, but so far little is known about their attitudes and the determinants of their participation in programs that request higher FAW standards. To close this research gap, fattening pig farmers in Germany were questioned via a large-scale online survey in 2018 (n = 239). Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, a partial least squares path modeling (PLS) was run. Results show that the expected performance as well as the expected costs associated with the Initiative Animal Welfare (IAW) substantially influence fattening pig farmers’ behavioral intention to participate in the IAW. Furthermore, the decision is influenced by social determinants and facilitating conditions such as deadweight effects. Farmers’ hedonic motivation, fair remuneration and previous experiences with the establishment of higher FAW standards can influence their intention to take part in the IAW. In addition, farmers’ trust in the program is a major determinant. There are also moderating variables such as age and work experience that influence farmers’ intention to take part in the IAW. Our results have important managerial implications for the IAW and can help to design further tailor-made animal welfare programs (AWPs) that fulfill the requirements of both fattening pig farmers and the broader public not only in Germany but the European Union.

Animal Welfare and the European Union

Animal Rights ◽  
1996 ◽  
pp. 143-165
Author(s):  
Rosemary Goddard Svendsen
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
The European Union

Sow agonistic behaviour of two breeds moved from individual stalls to an outdoor park

2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 203-203
Author(s):  
S. R. Silva ◽  
A. Lourenço ◽  
A. L. Fernades ◽  
E. LeBras ◽  
J. C. Almeida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Viable Alternative ◽  
Agonistic Behaviour ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Public Concern ◽  
Technical Developments

Public concern about animal welfare has increased both legislation and consumer pressure, to introduce new technical developments in sow’s housing. In recent years, there has been increased interest in less intensive production systems for pigs, including outdoor production. The issue of sow’s housing and its relation to welfare has been investigated for sometime now (SVC, 1997; McGlone et al., 2004). Concerns over animal welfare combined with European based scientific data have led to the progressive removal of gestation stalls in several European countries, and from 2013 the use of stalls will be restricted throughout the European Union. Therefore one of the greatest challenges in swine housing management is the development of a viable alternative to stalls. In this way, we carried out a study to (1) compare the agonistic behaviour of two breeds of sows moved from individual stalls to an outdoor park, and to (2) determine the evolution of behaviour throughout four weeks of study for each breed.

scholarly journals Broiler and swine production: animal welfare legislation scenario

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 713-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Baracat Tosi Rodrigues da Silva ◽  
Irenilza de Alencar Nääs ◽  
Daniella Jorge de Moura
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
European Union ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Swine Production ◽  
Brazilian Legislation ◽  
The World ◽  
Animal Welfare Legislation

Brazil is the world largest meat exporter and one of the most recent demands of the import market is directed towards animal welfare. Codes, norms and legislations used in Brazil are out of date, and in most cases those adopted for both poultry and swine production are based on international standards to meet trade requirements. This research aimed to study and describe an overall scenario of the standards, norms and legislations for animal welfare items applied to broiler and swine production: rearing, handling and transportation. The critical points of these items were identified in accordance to standards and current literature on animal welfare issues, effective on January 2008. The comparison was based on given scores varying from 1-5 (very bad to very good) as function of the existence of standard norms and legislations for each country and/or economic block, and for each type of demand, as well as the level of adoption by producers. When compared to counterparts Brazil detained the lowest score for all types of demands, and its mean score of norms is lower (p < 0.05). For both poultry and swine production the European Union provides detailed information to producers, followed by Australia and United States. Exception is made to standards in moving or transporting swine within the farm. Brazilian legislation for poultry production presents a general insufficiency of 58%, while in swine production the highest deficit is in transportation. There is a need to invest in updating animal welfare standards, norms and legislation in the country for maintaining its international competitiveness.

Most Common When Least Important: Deliberation in the European Union Council of Ministers

2009 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Naurin
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Democratic Theory ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Substantial Variation ◽  
Political Pressure ◽  
Union Council ◽  
Working Groups ◽  
Council Of Ministers ◽  
Intergovernmental Policy ◽  
Empirical Turn

This article contributes to the empirical turn in deliberative democratic theory, by studying the presence of arguing (discussion on the merits) and bargaining in the working groups of the Council of the European Union. It uses a survey of representatives of member states to analyse to what extent, under what circumstances, and by whom, arguing is used. The results indicate that arguing is indeed common in the Council working groups, but also that there is substantial variation. Most arguing is found in intergovernmental policy areas and by the most powerful and well-connected actors. The findings point to the conclusion that higher stakes and political pressure make actors less willing and able to engage in arguing.

Between Persecution and Protection: Refugees and the New European Asylum Policy

2000 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 169-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elspeth Guild
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Refugee Status ◽  
Asylum Policy ◽  
Minimum Standards ◽  
Amsterdam Treaty ◽  
European Court ◽  
Common Policies ◽  
The Right

The admission, reception and treatment of asylum seekers in the European Union has been an issue of continuing political and legal concern throughout the 1990’s. The rising numbers of persons seeking protection at the beginning of the period coupled with a rapidly developing regional jurisprudence on the right to protection from the European Court of Human Rights in particular, changed the nature of the debate. The Member States began to search for common policies and practices as regards asylum through intergovernmental measures. With the Amsterdam Treaty, the most important aspects of asylum have been transferred to the EC Treaty: criteria and mechanisms for determining which Member State is responsible for considering an application for asylum; minimum standards on reception of asylum seekers; minimum standards with respect to the qualification of nationals of third countries as refugees; minimum standards on procedures for granting and withdrawing refugee status amongst others.

scholarly journals Animals and the Impact of Trade Law and Policy: A Global Animal Law Question

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-262
Author(s):  
Iyan Offor
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
International Trade ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Animal Law ◽  
Trade Law ◽  
International Trade Law ◽  
Law And Policy ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThere is a critical research gap regarding the trade and animal welfare interface: we do not know, empirically, what the impact of trade on animal welfare is. This gap exists, in part, as a result of the paternalism of international trade law and the underdevelopment of global animal law. This article addresses, firstly, the collision of dichotomous trade and animal welfare priorities in legal and political systems. It then explores attempts at reconciliation by the World Trade Organization and the European Union. This involves an investigation of the impact of trade on animal welfare. This impact is categorized into four component parts: (i) open markets, (ii) low animal-welfare havens, (iii) a chilling effect, and (iv) lack of labelling. Case studies from the European Union are examined. Thirdly, the article critiques trade law and policy as ill-suited primary drivers of global governance for animals. Global animal law is identified as a promising alternative, although its early development has been unduly affected by international trade law.

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